ever since I picked up Molly's allergy report. We have been overwhelmed with what we should do.
The vet called back on Wednesday night and is still telling us to go with the ATOPICA, which we cannot afford. She suggested I try some of the vet's special food; so I called around at the vet's office on Friday to discover that a small bag of the food, which would last Molly a week was over $50 :0O So I refused to buy it!!
I spoke with Karine's mother on Friday, as she also has a dog with allergies, and I have to say what she had to say made sense and left me feeling a bit better. I also called the pet store and found another food for Molly that doesn't have any ingredients in it that she is allergic too, it's Dick Van Patten's Venison and Sweet Potato. This also has no fish oil in it, which a lot of foods do have. Even the Omega 3 oil supplement we have been giving her has fish oil in it, so we have had to stop that. The new food has flaxseed in it which is a good alternative to the Omega 3 oil.
So I feel a little better knowing I will probably have her food allergies under control in time. The food allergies are the easier of the two things to take control of. The environmental allergies are another kettle of fish though, and with Molly's being so severe I am not sure what is going to happen there. As I have said before she is on Vanectyl-P which is a steroid/antihistamine. As with any steroid it is not good for humans or animals, so the aim is to get her off those as soon as possible.
So we may try a holistic/natural alternative for the environmental allergies. Any suggestions would be appreciated here. If none of these work, we are considering putting her up for adoption. That is a last resort, and one we don't want to do, but at the end of the day if ATOPICA is the only thing that will give her a pain free life, then it's something we will have to do.
I want to make it clear we love Molly to death and she is a great dog, but we honestly cannot afford the $100 + a month it is going to cost us keeping her on the medication. Also having to get up before 6am each and every single day as she needs to go out for a pee, no matter how late we keep her up is getting tiring for me. That is a side effect of the steroids, she has to pee a lot.
I will keep you informed on how things go with Molly. Our hope is to find something that will work against all her environmental allergies before the end of March, when the snow will start to melt, as we will be heading towards her worst period of time for her allergies.
Sorry for such a doom and gloom post.
Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?
Today's Money Saving Tip's:
• Help your pet practice good hygiene. Grooming and trimming nails regularly helps prevent many types of infection. Brush your pet’s teeth at least three times a week to avoid tooth decay and gum disease, which can spread to other parts of the body.
• Keep pets at an ideal weight and make sure they get plenty of exercise. Obesity leads to a host of orthopedic problems as well as diabetes, heart disease and other medical disorders. Find a high-quality diet that your pet likes and stick with it. If you must switch, do so gradually to avoid stomach upset.
• Keep your pet current on vaccines and parasite preventives. Don’t wait until your pet is infested or ill. Contact your local animal-control organization to see if it offers low-cost vaccines, including shots for rabies.
• Spay or neuter your pet early. You’ll save on vet bills for serious medical conditions such as breast, uterine and testicular cancer. You’ll also greatly reduce the risk that your pet will be hit by a car or injured in a fight, since animals “on the prowl” are prone to wandering and aggression.
• Keep cats indoors. The average life expectancy of a cat that goes outside is only three to five years, compared to more than 12 years for indoor cats.
• Pet-proof your home and yard. Store medications and chemicals safely, make sure that fences and gates are secure, and keep poisonous plants out of reach.
All tips are from this site
I would also like to apologise for not visiting your blogs, but with the Molly thing and everything else I have had going on this week, I am just pooped...
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14 comments:
Gill..I know what you are going through...and we are in the same boat. Our dog will be staying on the Venectal P and that is the best it gets. We have worked with our allergy report with Global Pets and have found a food that best suits. It took a lot of reading but we have found one that is not to bad money wise. She will not have a long life..but that is the best we can do for her. The expense is horible with some of these drugs but we can't afford to spend, spend, spend..either. Good luck with Molly, there are lots out there that have to stick to the V\P medication.It is a constant concern so I sure do feel for both of us..lol. Sad eh!!
Gill, I know very well how frustrated you feel. I won't claim to be an expert on this, but about 8 years ago, I started down this road of holistic and traditional treatment for my dogs. I've been lucky that I've had a vet that has helped me to find the balance between them. Goldens are known for having all kinds of terrible allergies, and I found that food was a big help in controling them. I think you've made a positive step in changing to a "limited ingredient food." There are other brands to try as well if this one doesn't work--EVO made by INOVA is one, and another is ACANA, (as a caveat, it's made in Canada)are also high grade foods with limited ingredients. But look online, there are several others too. If Molly can handle it, I would also suggest that you boost her immune system by giving her a steamed vegetable with antioxidants like broccoli, and even a few carrots and squash. You don't have to give her too much, only about a 1/2cup--enough to NOT upset her stomach. I've been buying frozen veggies & steaming them for my dogs for years, and it's made a difference in their health. It may take a little while with the food, because she needs to get the "toxin's" out of her system. I will also suggest that you also not give her any vaccines if she has any (other than what she needs legally) because they can wear down the immune system--Also if you give a Heartworm preventative, read the ingredients in that--Heartgard is a "limited ingredient one." In the meantime, keep doing your research there is so much info online, and continue to NOT give up! I really think you are on the right track!! ~Sorry I'm so long winded...I hope I've helped...
We feed our cats Dick Van Patten's wet food. I really like that I can check online about the testing for each can. They have been eating it for nearly two years and are all healthy.
sorry to hear about this-must be really tough
I continue to pray that you are able to get Molly's allergies under control.
I can sympathise Gill :-(
'The Beast' has had so many troubles in the past, tests that came to no real conclusion, allergies etc etc... I don't have any real advice, we started her on Dr. Burns food (dry) and then when other problems developed she needed to be put on Hills dry food which is called Hills Prescription Diet i/d for dogs and this has worked well.
It is not cheap £35 ($58 CAN) for a 5kg bag. We're fortunate enough to be able to afford this by cutting back on other things, but know others would not be so lucky. Hopefully you will come up with something that works and that 'choice' will never have to be made.
'The Beast' at over 14 yrs old has to 'go out' a lot too, just as I suppose we will have to do as age creeps up and kicks in, lol.
Take Care *H*
I found this case study with a dog that had many allergies, the Vet used the Holistic approach. Maybe this will help.
http://www.crvetcenter.com/allergies.htm
Gill I'm so sorry to hear about Molly. I hope going the holistic way works. Hugs
Hi Gill,
I popped in just to see how you were doing and I'm glad to hear that my mom was able to help you out a bit. Did she tell you about the creams and things she uses for her dog Rhea when she scratches too much? There really are a lot of things you can do to help Molly. I hope you will be able to find a solution so you can keep her. The best way to help her with her alegies would be to wait unti they start popping up though, otherwise it will be hard to see if she's getting any relief. A brand of food you might like to look into is Holistic Select by Eagle Pack, it's what I give my cats and I know they have a line of dog food as well.
I am wondering if giving Molly a holiday may help? Perhaps instead of adoption, you could ask someone else to take care of her for a month or two? Then when she comes home, she will be pleased to come home and her allergies may just disappear. This approach is assuming that her allergies are being caused by stress or anxiety, rather than food. It's a shot in the dark but surely worth a try and cheaper than buying the very expensive doggy food?
Blessings, Star
Gill [[[hugs]]] I'm praying that you can find the products to help Molly without having the huge expense. It must be a big worry for you though. Good luck and hopefully you will have good news for us soon♥
Hello Dear Gill.
Don't know if this helps but when Mike and I were first married we had a dog who was severely allergic to all grains, including corn. He suffered for many years with multiple symptoms before we found this out (poor boy). Once we eliminated these from his diet his symptoms disappeared. Now we buy and/or make pet food that has very little or no grains in them. Evidently, most dogs (and cats) don't have the necessary anatomy to properly digest grains.
Please know you are in our prayers for a calmer, less stress filled week to come! :)
Love,
Tracey
x0x
Gil, first I want to tell you that your photo at the top of the blog absolutely took my breath away! How gorgeous! The blog looks fabulous!
I'm sorry you're going through so much with Molly. I know there are vets who practice holistic/alternative medicine. We have one. Can you call around to the different vets in the area and see if one of them also does?
Has the vet mentioned anything about desensitizing treatments for the environmental allergies? I have no idea how much these cost, but the point is they should desensitize her to the environmental allergies and let her live her life comfortably and OFF the steroids.
I really feel for you! I know it's a hard decision to come to. I'd be in exactly the same place. *hugs* I know you love her, so I hope you find an alternative that will work for her!
I absolutely understand. Our cat has cancer and we are faced with possible surgery and/or chemo costs. We don't really know what to do. If it helps you financially for the moment, Care Credit offers an interest free card for vet costs. It's hard but you need to do what's right for you.
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